Thread: RoofTop tent AND spare wheel

I think you have to bear in mind the Camel Trophy Discoverys had a heavy duty roof rack, and a internal roll cage, I think the rack was even attached to the cage.

However, a roof tent and spare wheel should be fine..

I had a long roof rack on both my D1 and D2, and had heaps of room for extra stuff, including a large BBQ (bloody awkward and heavy-ish to get on and off) aswel as chairs etc, and of course the RTT.
The same rack is now on the defender although shortened to suit the dual cab, and I carry my spare wheel up there as well.
Travels well and doesn't feel top heavy at all,, I'm running factory suspension.

I did the Simpson with a rooftop tent and rack sack up the front and it was fine.
Mind you I had heavy duty springs and Bilsteins which reduce body roll and swaying as some of the tracks are at quite an angle. I never bothered with a 2nd spare wheel and just carried a plug repair kit and a tube. I did get one puncture on the old ghan railway track which I plugged but no problems crossing the Simpson.
Cheers
Mark

I'd be looking at the positioning of the load and what type of roads/tracks you'd be driving.
I did a road trip last year with a Front Runner roof rack and spare wheel stored near the front and my RTT at the rear. After a 40km run down a heavy corrugated track I started to get nasty knocks from the top of the windshield...the Pillar had cracked where it meets the roof line.

In preparation for an Indian expedition next year I've invested in a dual rear wheel carrier which should help reduce the weight up top.

See here http://www.aulro.com/afvb/discovery-...roof-load.html

Thks Streaky
That is exactly the kind of thing I want to avoid. I had a RR classic that had cracked frt pillars as well, but at the bottom.

I will be doing desert and off road trips so my setup has to cope with corrugations and shocks. I'm loathe to do a trip like the simpson without a second spare. Im happy to put the RTT as it is on 3 supports at the rear of the vehicle..but how do I carry the second spare? Or is carrying a plug kit sufficient as long as I have 5 good tyres? If the companion vehicles share tyre sizes then that might solve it for this trip....

Lindsay

i carried two spares for my simpson trip and didn't use either

i did start the trip with 4 brand new tyres BFG AT's

One of the other guys on the Simpson trip (Pajero) just strapped a tyre casing to his existing spare on the back door and it stayed there without any drama's.

the only problem with a casing is most have not changed a trye manually.......

i had to change heaps in a previous job. a changed one by hand prior to my simpson trip convinced me to take a full spare. i would rather have a beer at the end of a days drive and let somebody else change/repair my tyre

Linds, if yo go down this track, once you buy the tyre changing gear have a go in your back yard prior to your trip